War of the Pacific

The War of the Pacific (5 April 1879-20 October 1883) was a war fought between the Bolivian-Peruvian alliance and Chile over the Atacama region along the western coast of South America. The war was caused by the Bolivian government's confiscation of mining rights from a Chilean mining company in February 1878, which was in violation of an 1874 treaty with Chile. In response to the Bolivian government's breach of the treaty, Chilean troops occupied the port of Antofagasta on 14 February 1879, and Bolivia and its secret ally of Peru jointly declared war on Chile on 5 April 1879. The Chilean land forces were very strong, and they knocked Bolivia out of the war after defeating them at Tacna on 26 May 1880. The Chileans occupied the Peruvian capital of Lima in January 1881, and the Peruvian army launched an unsuccessful guerrilla campaign against the Chileans. In October 1883, peace was concluded at Ancon, and Chile gained control of new territories along the coast, landlocking Bolivia. In 1929, Chile and Peru agreed upon a final border agreement, with Chile handing back Tacna to Peru in exchange for keeping Arica.